Autumn
by HikariFighter
Summary: It had to be a dream, had to be a nightmare. It wasn't possible that Maes Hughes had left him and gone somewhere Roy wasn't able to follow. It was all just a nightmare.
1. I

_Authoress' note: So, life hates me big time. That's all you need to know at the moment. It's past midnight, and for some reason, I felt I needed to upload this. I haven't been able to have someone else read it (I sent it to my beta thirteen months ago and she hasn't send any kind of response at all which I am very upset about) so I want you all to review and tell me what you think about it._

_Obvious spoilers, need I tell you? It's about Roy after *sob* Hughes dies. In volume nine, it's been about a month since that happened. In that same volume, it is revealed that Ed will be turning sixteen and according to Arakawa-san; his birthday is in the winter. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that Hughes died in the autumn, which is why I named it that. While I'm at it, I might mention that in Brotherhood, Hughes and his family lives in an apartment, so they do so here as well. I felt that I needed to clear that up._

_Read the note at the end._

_Some lines and scenes have been taken from FMA Brotherhood, which I sadly no longer can watch since it disappeared from both YouTube and Animeshippuuden and I am too poor to buy it myself at the moment._

_I own nothing. Had I owned FMA, I would be bathing in money which, as stated above, I do not._

_Happy reading all ^_w^

_**Autumn**_

When a child is born, it is a joyful occasion. Everywhere you look, there are people laughing and rejoicing the new life. And somewhere along the line, the child grows up, making friends, finding happiness and eventually settling down and getting a family.

But every life eventually crumbles and dies, and as it does, it leaves the survivors in a state of shock and grief. Death surrounds us wherever we go. Not only people die, but as autumn takes place, everything green and colourful dies as well.

Roy had always hated the autumn, mostly due to the constant rain making him useless. But as of one specific day the year 1914, he hated it even more. How could every happy feeling be destroyed so fast, how could all have gotten so wrong? How could life be robbed from a person so merciless?

_The ringing of his phone echoed throughout the empty office, and Roy took it up, holding to his ear._

"_Lt. Colonel Hughes from Central is on a public line," the female operator on the other end said._

"_Again?" Roy sighed. "Put him through." He waited for a few seconds until he heard the other end click, notifying him that Maes had been put through. "It's me," Roy said by way of greeting, closing his eyes in slight irritation. "If it's about your daughter again, I'm hanging up."_

_As he waited for his friend to reply, he only heard the vague sound of laboured breathing from the other end. Alerted, Roy opened his eyes. "…Hughes?" he asked, listening closely. "Hughes…" The person on the other end gasped in pain, and Roy's heart stopped. "Hey, Hughes!"_

_And then, the other end disconnected with a click, leaving Roy to stand staring at the phone in his hand, eyes wide with shock and fear._

Roy ran his hand through his hair, leaving it ruffled and messy, but frankly, he didn't care. His office in which he sat was empty, his subordinates having left hours ago. But Roy didn't blame them for that; when they had left, the sun had just begun to set, and as Roy gazed through the window of his office, he saw the moon shining high in the sky.

He had been unable to leave. What kind of world awaited him now? He sat staring at what was left of his phone as if trying to wake up, only to find Maes waving the latest picture of Elicia in his face. Roy would pay anything just to see his face again, or to hear the sound of his voice and laughter, to see his eyes, see his smile, see _him_.

It had to be a dream, had to be a nightmare. It wasn't possible that Maes Hughes had left him and gone somewhere Roy wasn't able to follow. It was all just a nightmare.

_Roy stood frozen at the spot, feeling every part of his body trembling. 2__nd__ Lt. Ross stood in front of him, tears glistening in her eyes, and Hawkeye was standing next to him, hands clasped tightly over her mouth._

_Roy's ears were ringing. The younger lieutenant's words were the only thing he could think of, the only thing he heard._

_Lt. Colonel Hughes… found dead… shot… sorry, Colonel… dead… dead… he's dead, Colonel… he's dead… __**DEAD!**_

_Roy closed his eyes, and he heard Hawkeye move away from her position next to him, and some moments later, the door opened and closed. When he opened his eyes again, Hawkeye was standing in front of him._

"_Colonel," she said softly. "Please sit down, Roy."_

_Then her hands were on his shoulders, gently pushing him down into his chair again. She crouched in front of him, and he could see her lips moving, forming words, and yet, he could hear no sound coming from her. Her reddish-brown eyes sought out his, but the onyx pair was focused on the door._

_How many times had Maes entered through that door, Roy asked himself. How many times had Maes walking in, annoying the hell out of him? How many times had Roy ignored him, wanting him to leave, only to find his friend still there for him? He had always been there, no matter what. So he couldn't possible have left him. It was all a nightmare. So why wasn't he waking up?_

_Hawkeye sighed sadly and stood up. Roy was only vaguely aware of her saying something about being right outside in case he needed to talk. And then, Roy was left alone._

Roy stood up on shaky legs and walked out into the dark hallway outside his office. The silence had become too much. But it was just as empty and quiet in the hallway as it had been in his office. The moonlight shone in through the windows slightly illuminating the hallway as he walked. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. He hadn't cared for much recently.

He didn't know how long he had been walking for when he reached the Court Martial Investigations Division. As he reached the library, he noticed the bloodstains that had yet to be removed from the floor and wall right outside of it, and it made Roy nauseous. He got his legs to work again, and he started walking down the hallway again.

_The phone went crashing into the wall within seconds after Hawkeye had left the room. For a fraction of a second, Roy felt the anger swell up inside him, and the urge to set the phone ablaze grew unstable before he realized he didn't have his gloves on. Instead, he breathed deeply, the anger having turned into something else, something dark and painful. His arms felt numb, his hands were shaking, and his heart felt as if it was about to split in two; the pain ripped through his body, his heart, his soul, his very core, with each breath and heartbeat. _

_He took his head in his hands and screamed loudly. He screamed at the sudden pain, screamed until he had no more air in his lungs. "Damn it, Maes!" he cried out as soon as he had managed to catch enough breath again. "You didn't have to do this!" He could feel his eyes burning with tears, and as he closed them, he let his legs give away under him, and he fell to his knees, his hands out to keep him from slamming his head against the floor. "You didn't have to die…" he whispered._

_The pain was spreading fast through his body, and as his heart pumped, thereby increasing his agony, he started to see the truth in 2__nd__ Lt. Ross' words. Maes was dead. Maes Hughes, his __**best friend**__, was dead. __**Dead! **__He wasn't ever coming back! And there was nothing Roy could do about it._

_At that moment, Roy relived every moment he had shared with his best friend. Meeting him for the first time ever… Graduating from military academy… Seeing him again after the final battle in Ishbal and the birth of Roy's goal… Helping Maes prepare for the date with that woman he just wouldn't shut up about… And in the end, helping him prepare for his wedding with said woman…_

_A sudden thought struck Roy's mind, and he stood up and walked up to the door. As he did so, he unbuttoned his uniform shirt and threw it away, leaving it in a heap on the floor._

"_Roy?" Hawkeye said as he came out into the hallway. "Where are you going?"_

_He didn't even react to the uncharacteristically use of his first name. Maes was the only one Roy could think of. His best friend was dead, gone forever. Where should he be going, and who should he be comforting instead of wallowing in his own grief? Stupid question._

"_Gracia," he mumbled. "I'm going to see Gracia."_

_In the corner of his eye, he saw Hawkeye flinch, but before she could say or do anything else, Roy had left._

To be perfectly honest, Roy wasn't surprised when he found himself in front of the door to Maes' office. He had actually only been inside a handful of times: Maes had spent so much time in his, so Roy had never thought about entering Maes'.

Stepping in, he looked around at everything that was there. There was the desk with the several newspapers and books (had Maes found something out while reading these books?). The phone which Roy had burned more than a few times whenever his friend had gotten too annoying (Maes would always shed a tear or two before pleading to Armstrong to fix it). The picture of Elicia hugging a bear almost as big as herself was hanging on the wall (Maes took that picture on her last birthday). The picture of Elicia, Gracia and Maes on the desk (Maes loved that picture). Two pictures on the wall that didn't quite fit in with the rest, each of them held in place by a throwing knife and-

Hang on.

_As Roy later found himself standing in front of the door to the Hughes' family apartment, frozen in a position of knocking, he felt cold inside. He was in his way to tell his best friend's family that the husband and father they all loved would never come home again. He thought of Gracia and Elicia, both of them probably sleeping in their beds unknowing of what had happened. Maes had been found several hours earlier, but they didn't know yet. For a second, Roy wanted to keep them that way. But no good would come from that._

_He took a deep breath and knocked on the door as quietly as he could. He knew that Gracia and Maes' bedroom was close to the door, and Gracia, always a light sleeper, would wake up at the slightest sound. It took some minutes, but eventually Roy heard someone move around inside the apartment, slowly and quietly. He wasn't surprised; it wasn't even five A.M. yet._

_The door opened, revealing a sleepy-eyed Gracia, who could barely keep her eyes open. "Maes?" she said quietly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I saw that you forgot your keys, so don't-" She trailed off as her eyes focused on Roy standing there. "Roy? What are you doing here? Is anything wrong?"_

_At first, he couldn't get any sound out at all. He just stood there, watching as Gracia put on a robe over her nightgown, securing it around her waist._

"_Roy?" she repeated, fear creeping into her voice. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"_

"_No…" He was amazed at the fact that his voice had managed to work this time, and how weak it was. "M- Maes was found in a phone booth not too far from Central Headquarters a few hours ago." He looked up at Gracia, who had gone dangerously pale. "He… He's gone, Gracia."_

_The look on her face would forever be burned into Roy's mind. Her wide, teary eyes were so blank, and her lower lips started trembling, soon followed by the rest of her body, and Roy felt useless. All he could do was catch the woman as she collapsed, and he embraced her tightly as her body racked with sobs. He could feel his own tears burning as well, but he wouldn't let them fall. Not in front of Gracia. He had to act strong._

Roy looked at the first picture on the wall. It was the picture of Maes and Roy together right after graduating from the military academy. Roy had been serious, net letting a smile onto his face while Maes on the other hand was in the middle of the motion of putting his hat back on. He was smiling widely, almost as if there was only sunshine and joy in the world.

Roy's own copy of the picture had been lost for years, but he was absolutely sure he had owned one at some point: Maes had insisted on having two pictures made. Although, there were probably more pictures in existence, knowing what kind of man Maes was…had been. But the copy Maes had given to Roy was gone forever, forgotten somewhere as if it was something that wasn't of any importance or value at all.

What was wrong with him?

_Roy sat on the couch in the living room of the Hughes' family apartment and Gracia sat in one of the chairs on his left. There were still tears running down her cheeks, but they had decreased. The two had been sitting there for hours as Gracia cried out her sorrow and grief and pain on Roy's shoulder, while he was trying desperately to comfort the woman, when they heard a door creak open. Roy turned around, only to see Elicia as she looked at the two adults in the living room. The sadness crept back into Roy's mind. How in the world could he possibly explain Maes' death to his three year old daughter?_

"_Mama?" Elicia asked silently. "Where's Papa? And why's Uncle Roy here?"_

_Gracia once again lost control over her tears and Roy's heart broke into even smaller pieces than it had been before. "Eli," he said, using the nickname only Roy and Elicia knew about, and waved her over. "Come here."_

"_Okay!" she exclaimed as she made her way over to him. Once she reached him, Roy picked her up and settled her in his lap. "Are you here about Papa?"_

"_Y- Yeah… I am," Roy said. His voice had cracked slightly. "The thing is…your Papa's gone."_

_Elicia nodded proudly. "Yup! He's working, and he's got lots of work to do, and when he gets home-"_

"_No, Elicia," Roy interrupted. "Papa won't be coming home."_

'_**And it's my entire fault... Why didn't I get to the phone sooner? **__Roy thought._

_The little girl studied him with confused eyes, and she tilted her head slightly. "How come?" she asked, voice dripping of innocence. "Did he have a paper-cut again? 'Cuz he had one last week and he said it bled __**forever**__, but then I kissed it and it got better and…"_

_Roy sighed as Elicia kept talking, escaping into his mind. Maes had indeed suffered a __**very **__severe paper-cut, but that hadn't stopped him from bothering half of Central with it, including Roy. Of course, when Maes had shown up at Roy's office, waving a bleeding finger in his face, the Colonel had just slammed the door shut in front of him._

_Now, Roy pondered over the consequences all his actions had had on Maes. Could that be the reason as to why he hadn't called sooner? Was he afraid that Roy wouldn't listen to what he had to say and reject him as he always did? That he would hang up on him? Had he really been that cruel to Maes, his best friend, who was willing to do anything to push Roy to the top, even giving his life for him?_

_He didn't realize that he had started trembling until Gracia interrupted Elicia, who had begun to talk about her dreams, where she and Maes had slain a dragon. "Elicia, you need to listen to Uncle Roy; he's telling the truth." The little girl fell silent and looked at her mother, who took a deep breath before continuing. "Papa's gone, baby. He's not coming home."_

"_Yeah, he will; he's just working," Elicia stated firmly. "He told me so," she added as it was the simplest of things. "He said he would come home early, and if he's not, then he's lying. But he can't be lying, 'cuz that's bad, and Papa's not bad!"_

"_I know, baby," Roy said weakly, the last word slipping out before he could stop himself. He exhaled, and the pain that had haunted him for the last few hours began to settle down, and it didn't feel as hard as it had anymore. He looked into Elicia's gentle lime-green eyes, leaving him amazed at how much she looked like her father._

"_Papa… died, Elicia."_

The other picture, right next to the first one, was taken some time after the first, on Roy's twenty-fifth birthday to be precise. On this one, both Maes and Roy were grinning from ear to ear, Roy with his arm slung over Maes' shoulders who in turn gave a thumbs-up to the camera.

Those smiles had stayed on their faces the entire night. Why, Roy couldn't really remember. The lack of memory was most likely due to the several shots of booze and liquor the two of them had consumed. All Roy could remember after the photo had been taken was waking up in the guest bedroom in Hughes' apartment the morning after with the mother of all hangovers. Maes had then entered the room, a flashing camera held in his hands, and that was when Roy realized that he was stark naked. _If _you looked past the apron in the worst shade of pink you could possibly imagine, which also had small golden ducks sewn onto it. Maes' camera didn't survive long after this discovery had been made.

As Roy sat there, the questions came back again. What kind of monster would kill Maes Hughes, the most wonderful, happiest man there had ever been and ever will? Who could be so heartless, so cruel, and so _evil_?

_Roy had never liked funerals. He didn't even remember those of his own parents', so he couldn't blame it on that. But as he stood there, listening to the twenty-one gun salute that made Elicia flinch with every shot fired, the thought of Maes lying in that coffin that was being lowered into the ground was taking his breath away. There was no other way to describe it. The pain hadn't decreased at all for Roy; on the contrary, it now felt more and more like if thousands of red-hot daggers were driven through his brain and twisted. It took all of his self-control not to fall down on the ground and scream his pain and sorrows out. He had to act strong in front of Gracia, Elicia, Hawkeye, everyone. What kind of man and friend would he be if he couldn't even pull his emotions together?_

_The coffin was in the ground now, and the soldiers had started to bury it. Roy had to do something; he couldn't let them take his friend away from him! But how could he turn back time, change the events that had occurred? How could he bring the dead back to life?_

"_Mama… Why are they burying Papa?"_

_Elicia's whisper reached Roy's ears, but he didn't move. From the corner of his eye, he saw the little girl cling to her mother's hand, a terrified look at the soldiers who were in the middle of burying her father._

"_Elicia…" Gracia said weakly._

"_Papa won't be able to work if they do that," Elicia continued._

_As she talked, Gracia's tears started flowing again, and she took her daughter in her arms, her entire body trembling. "Elicia…" she whispered into her hair, clutching her as close as she could to her body. "Oh, Elicia, baby…"_

"_Papa said he has a lot of work to do!" The volume of her voice grew louder with each word to the point where it was near pleading. "Stop! Don't bury him, please!"_

_It broke Roy's heart to hear her pleading words, and everyone present at the funeral was now in tears. Heck, even Bradley's hands were trembling as he stood with his head bowed, and he had only met Maes a handful of times. Not only Maes' family, but his fellow soldiers as well were all crying rivers of grief… except for Roy. Inside, he was drowning in his own pain and sorrow, but he wouldn't allow himself to cry. No, he wouldn't cry, not there and not with everyone around him. He had to act strong._

"_PAPA!"_

When Roy finally was able to take his eyes away from the picture on the wall, his thoughts were once again brought back to Maes. After the first picture had been taken, everything had gone downhill. As the slaughter in Ishbal had occurred, their friendship had taken a tumble down the stairs. The same Maes "Full-to-the-brim-with-happiness" Hughes that had followed Roy into the Eastern Hell had disappeared. All that was left of him was an empty shell; his once caring and loving lime-green eyes had become those of a killer, cold and distant and almost dead. Much like Roy's own had been at the time. But that was nothing Maes should have gone through in the first place. And when Roy had asked his friend why he fought, why he was there in that sad place, he had received the answer he had dreaded for.

_I don't want to die._

That had been one of the reasons as to why Roy sought to take Bradley's place as Fuhrer: he would protect the ones he cared about, the ones he loved, and keep them and the rest of the people safe from the things Roy had been forced to go through. He would stop the wars, the killings, the deaths, everything of the kind.

But now, Maes was dead, gone along with Roy's biggest reason to fight. His encouragement was gone. Maes was gone. It was all gone. So how could he find the strength to continue on now?

"_Specially promoted two ranks after being killed in the line of duty…"_

_Roy stood alone in front of the gravestone with Maes' name on it. Everyone had left, and Roy only had his grief and his thoughts for companions. What a company that was._

"_Brigadier General Hughes… huh?" he continued. "You said… you were going to work under me and support me." His hands clenched around the hat he held firmly under one of his arms. "What's the point if you surpass my rank?"_

_His mind was racing; there was something wrong with all of this. It just didn't match up. Why had Hughes been murdered? What had he found out? Why hadn't he called sooner? What could Roy have done to stop it from happening? Was he able to change it, to bring him back? Was he strong enough to prevent a rebound? What would he have to sacrifice?_

"_Idiot," he said to thin air. Thinking wasn't going to get things done._

'_Thin air' didn't answer. But someone else did._

"_Colonel?" Hawkeye said to make her presence known and Roy turned his head slightly to look back at her, before turning his attention back to the gravestone._

"_Alchemists are… unpleasant creatures, aren't they, Lieutenant?" he asked her. "I'm… desperately trying to put together the theory of human transmutation."_

'_**Water… 35 litres,' he counted to himself. 'Ammonia, 4 litres… Phosphorus, 800 grams… Carbon, 25 kilograms… Or was it 20? How much sodium? What are the other fifteen elements? What am I forgetting?'**_

_There was something missing inside of him, something that wasn't helped by Hawkeye being right next to him. It was almost as if someone had taken a large chunk of flesh from deep within his chest. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, and for a minute, Roy almost felt as if he was going to faint. It was midday, and yet, his world seemed darker than it had ever been. Three days ago, he knew nothing of that kind of darkness… Three days ago, when Maes had been alive… Three days ago, when Roy had been whole…_

"_I feel… like I know how those boys felt when they tried to transmute their mother," he admitted weakly, his onyx eyes never leaving the grave._

_Hawkeye studied him, her eyes shining with worry before they shone with sadness and pain. "Are you alright?"_

_Three words… It was just three simple words, and yet, Roy could find no answer to them. Should he say yes, and be in denial of his best friend's death forever? Or should he admit his pain and say no, destroying his brave and strong facade by breaking down in tears in front of his subordinate, the woman of his dreams?_

"_Yeah," he answered her as he put his hat back on, his eyes closed as he did so. "Oh no…" he said quietly. "It looks like it's beginning to rain."_

_Behind him, Hawkeye's eyes scanned the cloudless sky. "No… I don't think so…" she said puzzled and looked back at the Colonel._

_Roy faced the sky before answering. The pain had become too much._

"_No…" he whispered, feeling the tear run down his cheek. "It's raining alright."_

Roy ran his hand through his hair as a single tear fell towards the carpet, and he stood up. He breathed heavily and grabbed the knives with his hands and pulled them out, causing the pictures to fall to the floor. He picked them up, and after looking at them for several long moments, he placed them in the front pocket of his uniform shirt, curling up his empty hand in a fist as he did so. And with that, he left the office with newfound determination.

He would not go back to that office until he had found the person that had killed Maes Hughes, and if Roy would get his way, the monster would be nothing more than a pile of ashes once he was through with him.

Roy was going to fight for Maes Hughes, the greatest man and friend there had ever been.

_Authoress' note no. 2: So, yeah… I'm depressed, and that's why I'm writing depressing fics. Hate it? Love it? Give a review. I don't care if it's a line or a word or if it says 'damn, you suck'. I need you to review because I have a request for you:_

_I think this is a good one-shot. BUT, there is a second chapter. So (this may not be my smartest move, but frankly, who cares?), I'm asking you whether or not you think I should post the second chapter._

_That being said, I will leave this story's status as "in progress" for two weeks. Then, based on your reviews, I'll decide if I should post the next chapter._

_Again, please review and tell me what you think ^_w^


	2. II

_Authoress' note: Well, the two weeks have passed and out of those two reviews I received, I interpreted them both as positive. So, here is part 2! =D While I am not that fond of this one as I was of the first, I hope you think it'll be as well as the other ;D_

_In the future, I might have to take a new break. I know, someone will be thinking 'WTF, again?' but the last few days, I've been given bad news. Someone close to me is very, very, very, very, very sick and is going to be admitted to a hospice in a few days. Needless to say, I'm not dealing with it so well._

_Pairings: Roy x Liza (I re-named her 'Liza' because I like that more than 'Riza'…) and Roy x Elicia in a godfather x goddaughter kind of thingy… ^_w

_Genres (because there are so many and I'd like to list them all… =D): Family, Tragedy, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Angst, Humor and a tiny bit of Spiritual in the end _*w*

_Warning no. 1: Somewhat as depressing as part 1. But here, they're moving on, which all seems like a good closure for me =)_

_Warning no. 2: Lame title. Seriously, I won't blame you if you burn me alive and toast marshmallows over my body after you read it -.-'_

_**Spring**_

During one day at the beginning of the autumn of each year, one would find a man standing alone at the cemetery in Central. He could stand there for hours, doing nothing more but stare at a certain gravestone in front of which he stood every year. And usually, a middle-aged woman and her daughter would accompany him. After standing there for a few hours, the three would leave, always walking in different directions, and the girl would always give the man a tight hug before they parted.

Roy never hesitated to return that hug. Even over the years as Elicia grew, she would never be too big to throw her arms around his neck and squeeze the breath out of him. It always made Roy feel… warm inside, warmth he hadn't felt since Maes had been alive. But as Elicia reached her later teens, he mourned the fact that he, through his actions, was partially responsible for the death of her father. And those thoughts and those fears made that warm feeling run away, leaving nothing but cold grief in its place. He had killed his best friend.

"Don't be silly," Gracia would scold him. "You are _not _the reason Maes is dead, and no one thinks so either. That includes me and Elicia." An invitation back home with them would always accompany her warm smile and reassuring words, something Roy would always decline. How could he come home again, knowing that Maes wouldn't be there?

Home…

That apartment had almost been like a second home for Roy. Whenever things had gotten too rough at work or if he was just plain down, Maes had always given Roy a call and invite him over for dinner. When it came to Roy, Maes had had something like a sixth sense and had always been able to tell when he was feeling down and how to cheer him up again. He gave Roy the chance to have a family again… until he found a wife of his own at least, in Maes' words.

But the feelings of someone waiting for him in that apartment had disappeared when Maes had been killed. No matter how much time passed, Roy could still wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweat, the memories of his friend's death and what had followed still caused flashbacks he neither wanted nor could take. The pain his friend's death had caused had grown less painful, but it was still there. And even though he had a family of his own now, nothing of no one could help ease his pain and guilt.

Fifteen years on the day since Maes had been killed and Roy had decided to go to his grave some time before Gracia and Elicia would join him. It was a wonder, Roy pondered as he stood there, how so many years could pass by so fast. Especially considering how dark the world had seemed that day when everything that was Maes Hughes had been destroyed. All caused by one monster with a gun in its hand.

Envy had died like the bug it was and while it wasn't the kind of revenge he had hoped for at the time, Roy had been somewhat pleased at the end it had met.

Roy sat down in front of the grave, not noticing or perhaps even caring about the grass staining his pants. He was out of his uniform, dressed in simple civilian clothes. Not that anyone was around to see or care for that matter: it was a cold morning and still pretty early. On a normal Saturday morning at 8:30 one would find the cemetery next to empty, and that day was no exception. The only reason Roy was out was because he thought that his wife Liza needed some private time. He hadn't left her side for a minute the last couple of months. Some would call him overprotective, but he felt nothing but pure love towards her.

Five years after the Homunculi and their plan to turn all of Amestris into a Philosopher's stone, Fuhrer Grumman had become very ill. Seeing that he couldn't keep his position, Roy was made his successor. It was also then that Roy thought it was the perfect time to ask the beautiful Liza Hawkeye for her hand in marriage.

It had been harder than he had originally thought it to be, but there had been a couple of words in the back of his head that had given Roy the encouragement he needed, words that had been said to him many years earlier. And they had been exactly what Roy had needed to pull though and something he never had been able to give his thanks for.

"Fifteen years, Maes," Roy said sadly and looked up to the gravestone. "They miss you. _I _miss you," he admitted quietly. "Miss you like hell to be honest." As his insides grew colder, he let a sad smile onto his face. "Well, I did it. I'm Fuhrer. I guess I didn't need you to be really _beside_ me to reach my goal."

He tilted his head upwards so that he faced the sky again. Fifteen years earlier, it had been raining and now the sun was shining. "But… you never left me. You never stopped helping me, you know? Even from beyond, you were always there for me." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "Why couldn't I save you, Maes?"

Light footsteps brought his mind back to reality, away from his grieving and he turned around. Elicia was standing there, a large bouquet of white roses clasped between her hands. Her long hair had been tied up into two pigtails, looking so much like a little girl again.

"Oh," she said quietly as she saw the face of her godfather. "H- Hi, Uncle Roy…" Placing the flowers in front of her father's gravestone, she sat down next to Roy and pushed her rectangular-shaped spectacles further up her nose. "Didn't think you'd be here this early…"

"I…" Roy couldn't get any words out. "Wh… Where's your mother?"

"She decided not to come. She was feeling rather sick." Elicia smiled sadly. "It's hard to believe it's been this long," she whispered. "I… can't remember him. No matter how hard I try and how long I try to. I- I can't remember him at all."

Roy eyed the young woman (it was hard to believe that Elicia was a young woman of eighteen), not really knowing what to do. He had been through so many hard things in his life: losing his parents, fighting in Ishbal, losing Maes and confronting the Homunculi and Father, an event that had made him blind for almost a year. In the end, he had even liberated Ishbal and regained his sight by the help of Marco and his Stone. He had lived to tell the tale. And yet, he could do nothing to ease her pain. He hadn't felt as useless as he felt at that moment in years and it caused that cold grief to grow. Somehow, whatever he did, nothing could decrease either his or Elicia's pain. Both of them were human. It wasn't their position to act God and bring Maes back to life.

All Roy could do was to keep the memory of Maes alive longer than the man himself did. And the first step to do that was to make sure his daughter learned of who he was, learned of the good in him.

"He… loved you more than anything in the world," Roy said sadly and Elicia looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "When you were born, he would harass every single unlucky soul that came in his way with pictures and tales of you. Even to this day, I know exactly what day you first smiled, when you took your first step and what your first word was. It's no surprise that it was 'Papa'," he continued and Elicia let out a sound that wasn't a sob or a snicker. It was something in between.

"Really?" she asked silently, wiping away a stray tear from the corner of her eyes. "Mum told me was overly dramatic about everything but I thought she was exaggerating."

"Believe me, she wasn't," Roy reassured her with a glint in his eyes. "I remember this one time; you couldn't have been older than six months old at the time." He sighed at the memory. "Your dad called me, mad with concern, claiming that…"

"_My baby's dying; you have to help me, Roy!"_

_Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang held the phone at an arm's length away from his ear, the pained cry coming from the man on the other end had almost having made him deaf. He growled, glaring a 'Get back to work or I'll burn your asses' command at his subordinates (who returned to their respective paperwork with all haste) before he placed the phone back to his ear. Maes hadn't stopped talking and he was talking fast._

"…_so hot and she's crying and crying and crying, and she just won't stop CRYING and-"_

"_Hughes!" Roy interrupted sharply. "Shut up!"_

"_Don't snap at me, Roy!" Maes replied. "This is my daughter! Your __**goddaughter**__, need I remind you? This is serious, Roy! She's dying, I know it! I'm such a terrible father!"_

_Roy rubbed his forehead in frustration and he felt a muscle in his jaw twitch slightly. He turned his chair so that he was facing the window instead of the rest of his office. "Have you checked her temperature?" he asked silently. He wasn't asking because he was worried; he was asking because he wanted to calm his friend down. Yes, of course, that was it…_

"_Great idea, that's why I always call you first!" his friend replied. "I'll go do it right now!"_

_Roy heard the phone being put down and in the background, Maes said something to Gracia. Roy threw a glare over his shoulder and was pleased to see that his subordinates were still working._

"_98.6." Maes was back on the other end and as Roy turned back towards the window, he could faintly hear Elicia's cries. "And she's coughing, Roy. My baby's coughing! What am I going to do now?"_

"_Hughes!" Roy said loudly. "__**Calm **__down, okay? 98 degrees isn't bad. Besides-"_

"_98.6." Maes corrected. The muscle in Roy's jaw twitched again._

"_Do you need my advice or not?" Roy asked, venom dripping from his words and he grinned slightly as he heard Maes yelp on the other end._

"_You're evil, Roy," Maes mumbled. "Do you ever go through one day when you're not through and through devilish? When you were even __**happy**__, perhaps?"_

"_Once," Roy replied smoothly before he could think. "It was a Thursday some months back." As he realized what he had just said and before Maes did so as well, Roy took his chance to continue what he had been saying earlier. "It's just a cold, Maes. She'll be fine."_

_There was a pause while Maes passed the information onto Gracia, to which the response 'I told you so, Maes' was given. Roy felt a smile tug on his lips; he could hear her smile._

"_Thanks, Roy," Maes said. "For taking time from your busy schedule-"_

"_Aren't you supposed to be working to?"_

"_-To care for your goddaughter, the most beautiful little girl-"_

"_Hawkeye's glaring at me, Hughes."_

"_-In existence, isn't she Roy? Why don't you and Liza get married, eh? You two would make such a cute and happy couple-"_

"_Mhm, well – wait, what the –"_

"_-But not more than me and Gracia of course-"_

"_-Hell are you implying, Hughes?"_

"_-But no one can compare to us! And don't think I don't know what you said earlier!"_

"_**NOW**__ what did I say?"_

"_Elicia was born on a Thursday. Gotta go! See ya, Roy!"_

"_**HUGHES**__!"_

As Roy stopped talking, Elicia looked into his eyes. Her gently lime-green eyes, so much like her father's (without the spark of insanity, though), were empty for a second. Then she shocked Roy ever so slightly by pulling him into a warming hug, refusing to let him go. The warmth returning to his heart, Roy put his own arms around his goddaughter.

They didn't sit there for long until another person entered the cemetery, someone who Roy immediately recognised as his maid. She was running at full speed, and when she reached Roy and Elicia, she looked ready to collapse.

"They… They've taken Liza-san to the hospital!" she exclaimed. "She's just ab-" She trailed of as Roy shot past her, running as fast as he could in the direction from which the maid just had come. She and Elicia shared a worried glance.

**Central Hospital**

Roy ran up to the nurse in the waiting hall, gasping for air. It didn't matter how in shape he was; running halfway through town would tire anyone.

"Fuhrer Mustang!" the nurse exclaimed as she recognised him. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Liza…" Roy panted between breaths. It was hard to speak and breathe at the same time. "Where's…"

"Mrs. Liza Mustang was brought in about forty minutes ago," the nurse cut in with a sympathetic smile. "She's in 781, seventh floor."

Roy nodded his thanks before running of towards the elevator. However, once he reached it, the sign 'CLOSED FOR REPAIRS' made him curse explosively, and he searched desperately for the stairs. Once found, he pushed through several members of the staff in his hurry, not even stopping to apologise to the people he had knocked over, or to even listen to their complaints.

He took the stairs in two at the time, and reached the seventh floor in a matter of minutes, his breath still caught in his throat. Once he reached the room where he had been told Liza was in, he was met be several of his fellow comrades. Fuery sat on the floor, patting Hayate the Second gently on its furry black head, all the while having a quiet conversation with Armstrong and Breda, the latter sitting as far away as possible from the little dog. The three looked up as they saw Roy coming. They were all very pale.

"Good morning, sir…" Fuery said quietly. "Sciezska took Hikari to get some ice-cream downstairs. She said they'd-"

Any following words were stopped as someone, a woman, screamed in the room behind them. "You'd better go in there," Armstrong said firmly and placed a giant hand on Roy's shoulder. He could feel his knees bend at the force. "The time is nigh."

Roy felt the blood drain from his face, and stepped up to the door with shaking knees. "Good luck in there!" the three men behind him cried as he opened the door. Roy stepped in, preparing for the worst.

Liza was lying in a bed with her legs in stirrups, several nurses and a doctor surrounding her, and Roy had to grip the handle of the door to keep from toppling over. He, a hero of the Ishbal war and Fuhrer of Amestris, was terrified as his wife was bringing a new life into the world. She screamed again at the sight of Roy. "Get over here, Mustang!"

Roy gulped and ran over to his wife, grasping her hand in his own. "Easy, Liza," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm here now."

"Oh, don't you give me that bullshit!" she growled while squeezing his hand hard enough to make him squeal uncharacteristically. "I am _so_ going to kill you when we get home!"

"You said the same when we had Hikari," Roy whimpered. A bone in one of his fingers broke.

"Then I'll rip of your balls!" she threatened through gritted teeth, her hand clenching tighter around Roy's. Another bone in another finger broke. "If you ever get close to me again, I'll shoot them off with a rifle!"

"Push!" the doctor ordered. "I can almost see the head!"

"I AM PUSHING, YOU NO-GOOD DOCTOR!" Liza screamed at the top of her lungs, causing several of the nurses to flinch. "YOU DON'T TH- KYAAAAAA!"

She had no time to finish whatever insult and/or threat she had in mind, as she screamed loudly and pushed with all of her might. Her screams were cut short as another wail was heard in the room. The doctor appeared from his hiding place, holding a baby in his hands. "Congratulations!" he began. "It's a boy!"

Roy watched in a daze as the doctor held up his son, telling the nurses to clean him up. Liza relaxed against her pillows, letting go of Roy's hand. One of the nurses quickly saw to it, gently bandaging his broken index and middle finger.

"Sorry, Roy," Liza panted. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry," Roy cut in and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll have them looked at as soon as I can."

Liza smiled, and at that moment, the doctor brought back their son into the room. Giving the bundle to the couple, the doctor bid his farewells and left the room. Roy turned back to Liza, who was holding the boy in her arms. "Why didn't you let me know sooner to let me know you were in labour?" he demanded. "I missed Hikari's birth and almost this one too."

"You were negotiating in Drachma when Hikari was born," Liza said. "And besides…" She fell silent, looking away from her husband. "I know what date it is. I… didn't want to disturb you too soon. You needed the time."

Roy smiled sadly, and bent down, giving her a long, passionate kiss. He didn't want to break away from his beautiful wife, but the door opened and…

"_Eeeeeew_, Papa, that's _gross_!"

Roy and Liza broke away from each other as a miniature version of Liza stepped into the room. Her blond hair was tied up in two pigtails, and there were small traces of chocolate on her cheeks. Sciezska stood behind her, a handkerchief in hand. "Hikari-chan!" the geek exclaimed. "Please, let me get that chocolate of your face!"

"No," Hikari said firmly. "I want to save some for later."

The military men roared with laughter, and it took all of Roy's self-control not to join them, and Liza gave her husband a knowing smile. As the little girl's gaze fell on the woman in the bed, her eyes widened.

"…Mama? Papa?" she asked, her eyes glistening. "Is that my new baby brother?"

"Well…" Roy said and bent over to look at his son, scratching his chin as he did so. He looked at his daughter from the corner of his eye. "I'm not sure… Want to help me find out?"

Hikari giggled happily, and ran towards her father. Roy easily scooped her up in his arms, and after a happy twirl (which caused even more giggles) he gently touched her forehead with his own. "You ready to see your baby brother?" he asked, gazing into her reddish-brown eyes.

"Yeah, I am!" Hikari exclaimed happily.

Roy walked over to Liza's bed, keeping a firm grip on his daughter and a smile playing on his lips. He sat down next to his wife, who reached out the boy to their daughter. "Be gentle," Roy instructed as the four-year-old took her brother in her arms.

"Hi, baby brother!" Hikari said. "I'm Hikari, your big sister." She pointed at Roy… "That's Papa." …and then at Liza, who was smiling proudly at the sight of her daughter. "And that's Mama!"

"He's sleeping, baby," Liza said. "He just went through something really tough, and that made him _very_ tired."

"Okay…" Hikari said, slightly disappointed, and the baby was then handed over to Roy. He gently ran his hand over his son's ebony hair. It struck him then how much his son looked like himself. Just about as much as Hikari looked like Liza.

"Papa…" Hikari said, stealing Roy's thoughts away from his son, and back to his daughter. "Where do babies come from?"

Roy's eyes widened, Liza flinched, and the rest of the occupants of the room looked ready to faint. "Um… I… Err…" Sciezska stuttered, slightly panicked. "Why don't we get some more ice-cream, Hikari-chan?"

"Yeah, please, let's!" Hikari exclaimed, all of her unanswered questions forgotten, and Roy and Liza visibly relaxed. "Bye Mama! Bye Papa!" the young girl said, giving her parents a tight hug before jumping down from the bed and ran out the door, closely followed by Sciezska.

Eventually, after a good thirty minutes of "introducing" (even though the baby was asleep, everyone wanted to hold the newest Mustang), Roy and Liza were left alone with the baby. Roy had his free arm around Liza's shoulders, the other arm still cradling their son.

And then, a wonderful thing happened; their son woke up, revealing a pair of arresting onyx eyes. As Roy met his son's eyes, his heart melted.

"What do you think we should name him?" Roy asked his wife, looking away from their son. He found it very hard to do so.

Liza just smiled, and relaxed back into her pillows. "I think that it has already decided," she replied softly. "And there's no way we can name him anything else; I think it suits him perfectly."

Roy's smiled grew, and he looked down at his son again. "Welcome to the world, Maes."

After rain comes sunshine. And even after great sorrow, one can find happiness in the smallest things.

_Somewhere far, far away, an angel smiled at the sight of his best friend._

_Fin_

_Authoress' note: So, um… Yeah, that's it! Leave a review, pretty please? 8D_


End file.
